The 'Wild' Spark
by Maria33 a.k.a. Rei Uzumaki
Summary: Sweeney remembered once he killed Mrs. Lovett, he remembered how she always had that 'wild' spark of mischeif within her big eyes...even in their childhood years, ESPECIALLY when it came to cats... Sweennet one-shot please review but no flames


Ever since I saw the movie Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber Of Fleet Street over Winter Break I've grown to loove it once I watched it three or four times. XD I love Sweenet, it's pretty much the only pairing I like (Sweeney and Lucy is the main and REAL pairing but...ugh) Anyway, this is my first Sweeney Todd fic -one-shot!- and I'd say it'd take place a few minutes after Sweeney threw Mrs. Lovett in the fire.

Hm...it's somewhat AU, I know that when it comes down to the 'history line.' But it's for a good use though! I tried to make them be in character as possible. And yet, I'm extreamly nervous about posting this up......

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~The 'Wild' Spark

Pairing(s)- Sweenett (kinda), Implied SweeneyLucy

Disclaimer- I do not own Sweeney Todd, if I did Lucy would've been dead and stayed dead, Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett would've been a happy couple with their adopted son Tobias/Toby. ^^ *sighs in depression* but NO...it doesn't work out like that.

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"**AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH**!!"

Horrified, the female had burned within the fiery furnace screaming her lungs out staring at the man she loved, Sweeney stared at his ex-'business' partner decay slowly within the fire. Within her bulging eyes had shock, pain, confusion…

...perhaps even heartbreak?

It hadn't mattered to him, the liar was getting what she had deserved. Besides, Sweeney Todd never forgot, or never forgave, so what would make Mrs. Lovett any different to this current scene?

Scowling hatefully at the burning corpse of Nellie Lovett he shut the furnace's door continuing to hear her pain filled screams. Blocking them out with more important thoughts, Sweeney had glanced at the dead lifeless corpse that had once been his blond haired wife.

But she was truly dead now, all because of that _devil-woman_.

_**"Evil this is, sir! The stink of evil--from below--from 'er! She's the DEVIL'S WIFE! Beware her, sir! She 'as no pity in 'er heart!"**_

Oh, he should've listened to the beggar woman's words...no, not a beggar woman; _Lucy's_ words.

'No pity in her heart', that had been so true that it was insane.

Mrs. Lovett must've set Lucy out within the street once the poison had reached into her head, not keeping her and trying to keep her sane or at least somewhat sane at the least.

The devil's wife?

No, more like the daughter of the devil. Her curly red hair bounced around, her pale skin, and within those eyes if you looked close enough, pass the naivety, you could've seen a mild spark of mischief.

But then again, there had always been mild mischief within them, even within her younger years as a mere child.

The Barker family and the Lovett family had always had close ties with one another, so close that the Barker family had owned their family business; a Barber Shop, just a room above the Lovett family's meat pies shop.

Sweeney had remembered that clearly enough...

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Watching closely, a young ten year old boy watched carefully in astonishment as his father had given a shave to a man. So amazed the child had been that his mouth was even slightly gaped open in a 'o' shape.

Careful enough not to cut him accidentally on the cheek bone, or worse, the throat, the well-accomplished barber had managed to get every piece of facial hair off of the face of the man.

In the eyes of the barber's young son, Benjamin, it wasn't just a job that the family did...it was an art...

An fascinating _wonderful_ art.

"There ya go Mr. Wright, a perfect shave!"

Benjamin's father smiled at his customer kindly as he put away the blade for later cleaning.

"Yes..." Mr. Wright agreed with a slight nod, touching the smooth sides of his neckline. "Mr. Barker, 'ou've done a wonderful job just as always!"

That had been nothing unusual to hear.

Mr. Wright then stared at the ever-silent Benjamin who continued to stare in amusement.

"MR. Benjamin!" Mr. Wright happily chirped, catching Benjamin's instant attention.

"Yes, Mr. Wright?" Benjamin immediately responded, stopping his slouching and sat up straight filled with alert.

"Do you plan on being a barber too someday?"

"Yes sir!" Benjamin's face lit up just hearing the word 'barber', "It's a life long dream of mine, it is!"

Oh, the young child could see it now; he'd stand in the same upstairs room that his father had once been in, carefully shaving the hair of a man and doing a job well done...his wife would smile as she would watch her husband do the wonderful job and in the woman's hands would be a wonderful baby boy or girl.

Wait! That wife part wasn't right! Benjamin didn't want to get MARRIED, he just felt horrified at the thought.

"Well, I'd recommend watching your father, besides; you'll be needing to learn everything from him as you get older." Mr. Wright noted, leaving out his money for Mr. Barker to collect. Putting on his hat, Mr. Wright opened up the door preparing to step out. "Have a nice day Mr. Barker; I look forward to be seeing you soon."

_Riiinnngggg  
_

With the doorbell ringing as it shut, Mr. Barker inhaled deeply plopping into his barber seat.

"Dad..." Benjermain began, trotting up to the exhausted barber.

"Yes, Benjamin?"

"'ow is it to be a barber?"

"Exhausting once you get ten through five customers a day..." he gave out another tired sigh, "'ou've got to make sure that you don't cut em' too low or below the chin..."

Benjamin nodded, carefully listening to his father's 'wise-words' on being a barber.

"You wanna know something you CAN do for me, son?"

"Yeah dad? Wot is it?" Benjamin's eyes had lit up eagerly wanting to know what his father wanted him to do.

"You can go see Mrs. or Mr. Lovett has a meat pie ready for me to snack on." Handing his son the money, Benjamin once again had a smile appear on his face.

"Alright, dad!"

OoOoOoOo

Sighing heavily with the look of a sad puppy, Nellie Lovett stared outside the shop's window seeing cheery people inside the Mooney Pie Shop.

She had came home from her aunt's home, -by that ABSOLUTELY beautiful sea- only to come home to boring and dull 'London' and to her home, the most absolute worse place in the world...

The Lovett Pie Shop; where the WORSE pies in London had been made...

Amazing on how they CONTINUED to make pies even as no one came by...not even to inhale some air. They'd probably only wheeze in dust instead of air anyway.

"Why can't OUR pie shop be like that instead of the Mooney's?" Nellie whimpered to herself, holding her head down on the counter in misery.

Then, with her ears instantly perking up once she heard a few creaks, Nellie quickly spun around only to see 'wide eyed Benjamin' going down the stairs.

"Benjamin!" she nearly shouted at the top of her lungs both in surprise and happiness that the Barker boy was coming down the steps to the Pie Shop.

"Oh....um....hi Nelli-"

"You nearly gave me a heart attack ya did!" she happily piped, Benjamin flinched lightly at her voice. Always it was so loud and cheery; to make matters worse she was _talkative. _

"Did you just come from-"

"The sea? Yes I did!"

"Did you have f-"

"It was sooo fun down there! I went splashin' down in the water with auntie, took long walks with 'ncle AND auntie at the park! Oh! Auntie bought me a swimsuit! You should see it Benjamin! It's _so_ pretty!"

"I'm sure it is Nellie." Benjamin really had no interest at the thought of Nellie in a swimsuit; closing his eyes lightly at the thought and attempting not to shudder in fear, he nodded his head up and down in agreement.

"So whatcha come down here for? Didja get bored from seeing some random men getting their 'air cut?" Nellie curiously asked.

"No." Benjamin tried not to frown at Nellie, how could he ever get tired of watching his father work?

"Well watcha come down here for?" she repeated once again, only with more of a hinted tone of curiosity and an even more loud pitch.

"Hm?" blinking her eyes a few times, she stared at Benjamin, who was not on the staircase anymore but in front of her with his hands filled with a small bundle of money.

"Dad would like a meat pie, please."

OoOoOoOo

Benjamin stared at Nellie as if she was the oddest thing on earth as she tempted to make a meat pie by herself. She had looked so eager and so determined in what she had been doing, flour spread all on her black frilly dress and her hair continuously bouncing wildly...

At times like this, Benjamin pondered on her motives...

"Nellie, are you sure you can do this by...yourself?"

"It's not a problem for me! I do this all the time when mum and dad ain't around!" Nellie responded.

"...wot if you get badly hurt? or worse, you could fall into the stove if you were trying to heat the meat-" Benjamin shivered at the thought of Nellie in that furnace...burning herself to death.

"Awww!"

Nellie cooed in a somewhat taunting manner making her way towards the male, she questioned in a flattered tone, "Does this mean you care for _me_, Ben?"

Benjamin bit his bottom lip as she stared at him in the face with half-lidded eyes, he could've sworn he had felt his cheeks heating up lightly from the red head's smug smile. "O-of course I do Nellie!"

Nellie couldn't describe with words on how she felt hearing those words from the boy's mouth, he _cared _about her.

Benjamin Barker CARED about Nellie Lovett!

Oh, in Nellie's head, it seemed like the angels were singing a lovely chorus for the love struck girl.

"I mean, you're my friend Nellie. I...lo-love you...like a sister!"

Nellie's facial expression dropped.

"...if you died, I'd be pretty sad." Benjamin added.

"I love you too, Ben." Nellie whispered underneath her breath in slight infuriation.

"Well Nellie, I'll see you later on..." he then allowed himself to mumble under his breath, "I suppose..." Benjamin took the plate and nodded his head heading up the steps.

Once she heard the door to the barbershop open and afterwards close, Nellie allowed herself to freely growl and stomp her foot up and down out of fury.

OoOoOoOo  
_  
Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Ben..." rolling over and groaning, Benjamin's father laid in bed that next morning. "...get the door, will you?" he managed to say.

Yawning, Benjamin sat out of his bed and rubbed his eyes. "Yes, dad..." "Who on earth can that be at the door this early on a Sunday?"  
He put his hand on the knob and creaked it open, "'ello?"

"Ben!"

Chirpy and cheerful as always, the young ten year old had a instant wake-up-call. "N-nellie? What do you want this early?" Benjamin blinked staring at the female in awe.

She already was dressed up and ready for the day, her hair was groomed and held out in two small ponytails that caused her hair's curls to stick out awkwardly, and within Nellie's eyes had been mild sparks of adventurous mischief.

"I need ta talk to you!"

"Okay...." Ben nodded before saying in a more realistic tone, "Later on at one or ten."

However, he was soon to flinch once hearing Nellie's upset loud voice which surprisingly hadn't woken up his father. "No! No! NO!"  
Nellie grabbed Benjamin's arm sternly with a _dead serious _look on her face. "Get dressed, NOW! You and I need to 'ave a lil' talk! A.S.A.P!!"

With that, she ran down the steps in a 'whirl-wind' happily leaving Benjamin to still be stuck on her words.

_**"You and I need to 'ave a lil' talk! A.S.A.P!!"**_

"Nellie..." he mumbled, shaking his head in disagreement as usual.

"Ben, 'as that the little Lovett girl?" Benjamin's father rolled over on his side staring at his son.

"Yes dad, it was." Benjamin sadly replied.

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_**"Wot are you two going to be up to this early in the morning?"**_

"I dunno dad." Ben slipped on his boots before carefully tying them up.

"She seems to think very fondly of you, you know?"

"...she does?"

"Ah son, you're just too naive for your own good at times." his father sent out a low approving chuckle. "You may see 'er as a lil'...pest at times."

_**Oh was that true.**_

"But you need to take care of 'er."

"Her mum and dad can do that right? Why should I 'ave too?"

"Because..." it took him a while to finish his sentence before chuckling once again, "You'll soon learn when you're older."

"Wot is it you want, Nellie?"

Ben walked down the steps and glared at the small petite female. "Ah Ben! It's about time ya've made it! I've been waiting for a 'our or tw-"

"WOT is it?"

His voice was harsh, his eyes were cold, and a frown had been on his features. Blinking, Nellie looked interested before smiling smugly at the 'new' Ben.

"Come!"

"Huh?"

"Come on!"

Grabbing his arm, Nellie happily ran outside with the dumbfounded Benjamin.

OoOoOoO

Benjamin couldn't believe it, he had woken up close to dawn by that damned red-head, got forced outside shortly afterwards, and now, he stood out in the alleyway of the Mooney pie shop with Nellie who had currently squatted over patting one of the many cats kept by the Mooney's neighbor.

"Nellie..."

"Yes, Ben?"

"WHY are we out in a bloody alleyway with all of these bloody CATS?!"

Scooping the kitten within her arms, Nellie smiled at Benjamin slyly. "I've been thinking about something all night, last night..." pleased once she heard a small mew, she waved her tiny finger within the face of the feline with drooping eyelids. "With the price of meat wot it is...when you get it..._if_ you get it."

"Eh?" Benjamin blinked in confusion, not understanding a thing she was saying.

Sighing, Nellie stared at Benjamin in slight irritation. "Pussycats have MEAT on them don't they?"

"I suppose..." Benjamin agreed, "Don't all animals do?"

"Exactly!" Nellie smiled happily, "Ever wonder how the Mooney's make their pies?"

"With meat...toast...." Ben trailed on before getting cut off as usual by the female,

"Wot KIND of meat?"

"You know..." Ben knitted his eyebrows in worry, "With...meat from cows or something like that, I don't know!"

"Meat's too expensive; mum says so all the time to dad. So how can they afford meat? Hmmm?" Nellie proudly stared at Ben waiting for her answer.

Right now, Benjamin had wished he was with his father right now instead of what the ever-talkative Lovett girl. "...I don't know."

"Exactly! That's why I've discovered something...." Nellie grinned widely before declaring loud enough for the dead to hear,

"They use…PUSSYCATS!"

Ben's eyes nearly bulged out and his skin was somewhat pale hearing Nellie's theory. "R-really, Nellie?"

"Yup! Lots n' lots of em'! I mean, just look around you, cats are everywhere! And with the price of meat wot it is, they'll stoop down so, so sickeningly low just to make a dollar or two." Nellie sighed in misery as she tenderly allowed her fingers to roam on the head of the cat. "These poor, poor things..."

"So wot's the plan? Report it to the Judge so he can arrest Mr. and Mrs. Mooney for...murdering cats in the grimiest way possible?" Benjamin naively questioned.

"No! I'M gonna help out mum and dad by making...meat pies! Made out of fresh..." she then whispered with a smirk at the side of her lip edges, "_Pussycat._"

Benjamin looked ready to run off and the kitten had the urge to scratch Nellie and run off as quickly as possible. "N-nellie! That's just SICK! I thought you...LOVED cats!"

"I do, I do." Nellie responded, tempting to soothe the kitten once again.

"So WHY are you going to use a innocent cat?!"

"Well, I also heard mum say if they don't make enough muney I can't go off to see auntie again! It's pricy to get out by the sea, you know."

Ben was speechless, truly speechless, gathering his thoughts together he pushed out, "Nellie."

"Yes?" she purred within a matter of seconds.

"WHY did you tell me this?"

"Because Ben! You're helping me!"

"Wha-"

"Gather up as many pussies as possible! And hurry, I need to get this done as soon as possible before mum and dad come home from church!"

"Nellie?"

"Yes?"

"Why aren't YOU at church with them?" Ben then added inside his mind, "Because you sure need some of the lord in your life."

"Because I'm..._sick_!" Nellie answered with a snicker.

'_You bloody LIAR_...' Ben scowled at the giggling and happy red-head.

OoOoOo

_Riinnngggg...._

Ben poked his head inside the Pie Shop, no one had been in there expect for the roaches that were scampering around and a few cobwebs with spiders, from upstairs he heard laughter of his father with his friends along with soft music playing. He was having a good barber day so far.

"Is the coast clear?!"

"Hm? Ah...ah, yeah!" Ben held open the door as Nellie sulked inside with her eyes darting left and right expecting someone to jump out and catch her in the act of her crime.

"Great! Mum and Dad are still at church, your dad's upstairs 'aving a lil' party which leaves me to do my job!"

_Mew, Mew_

Benjamin had never been fond of cats truly, but still, some of them were still baby kittens and...and...

"Ben! C'MON!" Nellie hissed as she headed down to the basement.

"Ah, right Nellie!"

OoOoO

"They're going in THAT!?"

Benjamin allowed himself to squeak out those words once he had seen the size of the gigantic furnace. "Of course, and then, I'll cut off the meat, stuff in pies. And hopefully no one can tell apart the difference!" Nellie chirped.

Ben hadn't responded, simply turning his head away with half-lidded concern filled dark eyes he hadn't shown much emotion. Only guilt.

"Say Ben, what's the matter?" Nellie curiously piped, pushing her face out by Ben's.

"...It's...just that-"

"**NATALIE LOVETT**!!!!!!"

Nellie dropped her sack of cats and Ben looked shocked once hearing heels click down towards the two in a fast pace. "M-mum?!" Nellie stuttered turning around and staring at the furious woman.

"I come 'ome from church to see YOU, not SICK but out and down on the boiler room?! Wot's your problem!?" she shouted before noticing Ben looking more uncomfortable then ever now among Nellie and her mother. Who knows what ELSE would happen. "'Ello Ben deary, how are you today?" her upset voice turned to a cheery one.

"Hi Mrs. Lovett…" Ben coyly waved at her while trying to avoid eye glances.

"Natalie!"

"Yes!?" Nellie nervously grinned hiding the bag from her mother...unfortunately; this had caused her mother to be interested.

"Wot's in the bag!?"

"N-nothing mum!"

"Natalie! Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying mum!"

If things couldn't get any worse, they had. The cats heard a 'rescuer's' voice and began to look for their own escape.

_Mew, mew!_

"Natalie! What are you doing with CATS?!"

Benjamin and Nellie both knew at the same time that the worse was going to come for them...

OoOoOo

Nellie was grounded, for a solid month, forbidden to go to that beautiful sea she had loved ever-so-much, forbidden to leave the Shop, and strictly and forever forbidden to go into the Mooney's alleyway.

Ah, that damn Lucy Mooney was probably trying not to laugh her at misfortune with her goody-goody two-shoes self.

Benjamin had somewhat been in trouble by his father, he only WONDERED on WHY Ben who just allow himself to fallow Nellie's mischievous and disgusting idea. But then shortly afterwards, he smiled and chuckled having an 'idea' on why Ben obeyed Nellie.

_**"Who knew? My little son's already is falling in love. With the Lovett girl at that!"**_

In...love?

With...Nellie?!

NONSENSE!

PURE, UTTER NONSEN-

_Knock Knock_

Ben sat up from his bed and stared at the door in curiosity wondering who it was, considering that it may have been his father or someone he approached it only to see a blood-shot eyed sniffling Nellie Lovett.

"Nellie? Wot's wrong? Is something the matter?"

There it was, a tiny bruise that had lain on Nellie's wrist from either her mother or father. Of course it had been for 'discipline' not just for the thrill of hitting their only daughter, but still, Ben couldn't truly understand the concept of HOW they would become disciplined by the action.

"B-benjamin? Can I sl-sleep with you tonight?" she stammered over her words and sniffed loudly.

Seeing nothing but sadness and the simple need to be 'comforted', Ben shook his head in agreement. "...fine. BUT we need to set-up some bedroom rules between us two."

OoOoOo

The bedroom rules hadn't worked for Nellie, she held onto his chest sniffling and crying her eyes out on his clean white shirt. Sighing, Ben tried not to pay attention to it, but it was getting more and more hard by each passing minute. "Nellie...." he groaned, sitting up and finally getting released from the red-head's grasp.

"I'm sorry Ben, I really am! But...but..." Nellie couldn't even finish her sentence, she continued to rub her eyes and continue to cry like a infant.

Ben glared at her in irritation before finally grabbing her sternly by her shoulders. "Natalie Lovett-!"

"H-hm?" she sniffled staring up at him with big teary eyes, however soon those eyes had became even wider and her face instantly heated up.

Ben was...

Benjamin Barker was...

Benjamin Barker was KISSING HER....

BENJAMIN BARKER WAS KISSING NATALIE LOVETT!

"NOW..." pulling away from her, Ben asked in a pleading tone, "Will you PLEASE let me have a goodnight sleep?"

Instead of crying, Nellie giggled insanely holding onto Ben like a love struck puppy. **(A/N: W00T for Benett!! XD) **

OoOoOo

Sweeney remembered the look in Nellie's eyes once he had 'kissed' her, so happy, so jolly, so, so love-sickened that it had covered up the mischievous devil eye within her.

_**"I mean, you're my friend Nellie. I...lo-love you...like a sister!"**_

He held the lifeless corpse Lucy within his arms lovingly and protectively staring down at her beautiful face. "There was a barber and his wife....and she was _beautiful_...."_**  
**_

_**"...if you died, I'd be pretty sad." **_

Continuing to sing his low miserable tune, he couldn't help but to think of his life-long companion. He could've loved her if she hadn't lied, if she had TOLD him the truth about Lucy...

Maybe, he, she, and the little kid Toby could've moved down by the sea like she wanted...

_**"By the sea Mr. T, we could be alone!"**_

"And he was....."

Before Sweeney could even say the last word, he felt someone approach him with his razor and within one second...

Everything went black.

_**"-With the Lovett girl at that!"**_

The End  


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Ookkaayyyy....my FIRST EVER Sweeney Todd fic! Sweenett is my FAVORITE pairing and I did really enjoy writing this fic...-especially the last childhood scene- _Lucy _Mooney? Do you know who THAT is? XD I hope to someday write more Sweeney Todd fics, ONLY if you all liked this one. So...

Please review if you liked what you read. ^^


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